Montana has a long history of grappling with ground squirrels and burrowing rodents—creatures that have called this landscape home for thousands of years. Today, growing cities and expanding farms are increasingly running up against these fast-breeding residents, whose burrows are as much a hazard as they are a sign of a healthy ecosystem.
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“Yeah well, ground squirrels have been here for thousands, probably tens of thousands of years. They are some of the natural inhabitants. And, of course, we’ve grown over their habitat,” remarked Toby Hazelbaker, Director of Great Falls Park & Recreation.
Richardson’s ground squirrels and their close relatives may be native, but their tunnels often pose risks. Burrows in playgrounds, sports fields, and parks have led to twisted ankles and even more serious injuries. “A kid is running for a fly ball, they say he’s an outfielder and the batter hits, you know, a drive way out there and he’s chasing after that ball tracking it trying to catch it to make the out. He’s not looking at his feet, and he steps into a ground squirrel hole,” explained Stephen Vantassel, a vertebrate pest specialist with the Montana Department of Agriculture. Such incidents have unfortunately resulted in injuries to children.
For farmers and ranchers, the stakes are financial as well as physical. Ground squirrel colonies can devastate pastures and reduce alfalfa yields by 25% or more, according to the Montana Department of Agriculture. “For someone who has been struggling, trying to earn a living off that ground and suffering economic hardship, their perspective is diametrically different. It wasn’t, you know, seeing a prairie dog is not a site of joy,” Vantassel said.
Controlling rodent populations requires a careful approach. While pesticides, trapping, and shooting can be effective, the City of Great Falls avoids poisons due to the risks they pose to people, pets, and wildlife. “Poison, for example, can be quite effective, but that can harm people, that can harm our pets, that can harm other wild animals,” Hazelbaker said.
Instead, city teams now use safer solutions—like sand and water slurries to block burrows and introducing natural predators. Residents are encouraged to weigh their options and prioritize safety for people and pets alike. “We would advise the public, to be as cautious as we are about wild animals, their own pets, other people around where they have ground squirrel issues they want to deal with and come up with solutions that make sense to them,” Hazelbaker said.
The enduring lesson from experts: finding balance is key. Whether you're working farmland or playing in your backyard, addressing ground squirrel conflicts means protecting property and people—while respecting the vital role these rodents serve in Montana’s ecosystem.
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